Starclan's Favored
by Wingbreeze
Summary: Starclan favors none... Starclan FAVORED none. A cruel leader, a misinterpreted omen, and an apprentice that has to stop it all... even if she has to betray her own clan to do it. Rated T for death.
1. Chapter 1

**I know I said in my profile that I was only going to work on one story, but this just popped up in my mind and I HAD to write it up. If you think I should continue, just tell me, any way you want.**

**On with the story!**

**Prologue**

A full moon shone brightly in the sky. Three cats sat on the thick braches of trees, and many others shared tongues in grassy clearing below them.

Yowls rose from the gathered cats. "Where is Riverclan?"

"Why aren't they here?"

"Start the Gathering!"

A brown spotted tabby rose from her perch on the lowest branch. "Silence!" she yowled, holding up her tail.

The caterwauls died away, leaving only the chilling wind to howl across the lake waters.

Another cat, amber eyes gleaming against his dark fur, rose to challenge the leader. He also sat in the tree. "Greenstar," he began calmly, ignoring the she-cat's glares, "What our clanmates say makes sense. Never before have Riverclan been so late to a gathering. However, if this continues, I say we begin without them."

"Excellent point, Falconstar," Greenstar meowed, tone dripping with sarcasm. "I'll remember that next time Windclan is late."

The tom sat again, fuming.

"I agree with Falconstar."

The she-cat looked down in vague shock at a small dark grey she-cat sitting at the roots. The grey cat shrugged, "It only makes sense. My leader, we all know— and you do, too— that we must begin. Moonhigh does not last forever."

Greenstar nodded, as if in approval, sitting again and wrapping her tail around her paws. She looked at the third cat in the tree, who hadn't spoken. "Why don't you begin, Cloudstar?"

The leader of Thunderclan rose, his massive build and white pelt causing him to stand out. He raked his icy blue gaze though the crowd of cats, then yowled, "We gather here tonight under—"

"What is this? Beginning without the fourth clan?"

"Creekstar!"

With the exception of his gray chest, a white tom like Cloudstar stood at the edge of the clearing, his patrol of Riverclan behind him.

All was silent.

Then, more cats filed in. They came from all sides, surrounding the cats. One cat, a shining red tom, stepped forward. Starlight glistened off his smooth fur.

"Only one clan truly rules the lake territories." He opened his mouth to say more, but before he could he faded into the night, the surrounding cats with him.

After another moment of quiet, Creekstar sneered, seeming to be leering over the others. "Starclan has spoken its approval!" he yowled.

"What?"

"When?"

"Starclan's approval…?"

Confused murmurs filled the clearing.

Creekstar raised his voice so that it echoed through the island. "You all saw it just now! Only Riverclan is fit to lead the lake cats!"

With a loud caterwaul, the white and gray tom leapt into the mass of cats, unyielding. His warriors followed suit, clawing, scratching, and biting.

Greenstar leapt out of the tree with the other leaders, yowling retreat. They filed onto the main land, using the tree bridge. Riverclan cats chased them off, and soon the island was filled with triumphant yowls.

One cat, her cream fur sleek and kept, stayed to the edge of the clearing as her clanmates celebrated their victory. Glancing up, she winced at the sight of a full moon, and a clear black starlit sky. _What's going on? _She thought desperately. _Why won't Starclan put a stop to this?_

Creekstar, with his fur red with cats' blood, leapt onto a branch of the tree. He smiled down at his cats, and let out a yowl loud enough for all the clans to hear, even safe in their camps.

"We are Starclan's chosen! We are Riverclan!"

**Hey peeps. Just gotta love Riverclan, eh?**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey guys! Chapter One here! ... Onto the Chapter!**

**Chapter One**

"Silverpaw! Wake up!"

Silverpaw blinked, and yawned hugely. She arched her back in a stretch, and in a voice still heavy with sleep, asked, "What?"

Leafpaw's amber eyes shone with excitement as she meowed, "We're going on a mission with Weaselstripe and Ripplepool!" Weaselstripe was Silverpaw's mentor, Ripplepool was Leafpaw's.

Silverpaw didn't share her friend's excitement. "Really," she said, her meow light and only slightly questioning.

Leafpaw sighed. "Why are you so down? This is our first mission!"

Silverpaw leapt to her paws. "Yeah! I know! Our first mission to take a cat from his home clan!" Her eyes blazed with fury, but she sat down again, kneading the ground with her small paws. She hung her head, annoyed at herself for her outburst. _Why can't we just go on _regular _patrols, _regular _missions? _She thought miserably. But that would be too good to be true.

She kept her head down, silently wailing, until Leafpaw laid her slender tail across Silverpaw's shoulders.

"It's okay. But just try to live through it, all right? I don't want to go on my first ever mission without my best friend."

Silverpaw gave the light ginger apprentice a weak smile. "Sure," she said.

At that Leafpaw's face lit up like a kit's on its first time out of the nursery. She leapt up, practically shaking with anticipation, and cried, "Great! Come on, we can get something to eat before they're ready!" Then she dashed out of the den, heading for the fresh kill. Silverpaw followed slowly, her paws carving a path through soft reeds that littered the ground. Reaching the incredibly small fresh kill pile, she pulled out a small carp. Leafpaw was already diving into a trout.

As Silverpaw took a tentative bite, a black apprentice charged up to her.

"Hey, Silverpaw, guess what?" He was smiling and jumping happily. He waited for her response, and when it became obvious Silverpaw sighed.

"What? What?" Leafpaw was asking, but Snakepaw ignored her.

"What?" she asked in a dull tone. Seeing Leafpaw, who was trying hard to catch the tom's attention, she almost smiled. Leafpaw was sidling closer and closer to him, gently butting his cheek with her head. He only acknowledged her presence with a slight flick of his tail.

"Ashstorm's taking me to Shadowclan!"

Leafpaw took that opportunity to talk. "We're going to Thunderclan!"

Snakepaw said nothing, looking expectantly at Silverpaw. "We— that is, Leafpaw and I— are going to Thunderclan," she muttered.

"That's so—" Abruptly, Snakepaw cut off. Silverpaw followed his gaze to the medicine cat den. Cindershine, the Windclan medicine cat, stood in the entrance. Silverpaw gulped. Had the she-cat heard their conversation? _I hope not,_ Silverpaw thought. The other clans highly disapproved of Riverclan's new antics, and the gray and black medicine cat had been the first to be taken from her clan.

Just when Silverpaw was about to snap, Appleflight exited the den. She sent a glance at the apprentices. Silverpaw and her friends knew that Appleflight, though being a loyal clan cat, disapproved also. Appleflight's eyes shone with discouragement; she must've known what the mentors had planned for their apprentices that day. Together, the two she-cats left the camp.

Silverpaw stood up. "I'm done eating," she mewed. "You can have the rest of mine."

Snakepaw shrugged. "Nah, I'm not hungry."

Leafpaw had been about to take a bite, but seeing Snakepaw get up, she hastily followed, and meowed, "Neither am I." Silverpaw saw her friend look over her shoulder.

Snakepaw looked back too. "I'd better take that to the queens if no one wants any. See you, Silverpaw!" He smiled and then bounded off.

Both Leafpaw and Silverpaw sighed. Silverpaw figured that the ginger she-cat was mooning over the leaving tom, but she was just happy he was gone. She didn't want to talk about missions anymore.

"Silverpaw! Leafpaw! Get over here!"

It was Weaselstripe, looking positively annoyed as he stood with Ottershine and Ripplepool at the camp entrance. Silverpaw tried to look excited, but failed as she padded to her mentor. Leafpaw, however, was jumping on her toes.

"Our first mission!" She squeaked. "This is going to be so awesome!"

"Yeah," the silver furred apprentice replied halfheartedly.

"Are you ready?" Weaselstripe questioned.

"Yup." _Let's go before I regret it._

"Good. Follow me."

They padded through a bed of ferns, and Silverpaw took in the devastated atmosphere. Suddenly she heard voices.

"Cindershine, Shadowclan will be here soon, with Windclan…"

_Appleflight!_

Silverpaw stopped, pricking her ears.

"I will help you escape…"

"What if you get caught?"

"I won't."

_You just did._

"Creekstar is sending most of his warriors away, to the other clans. The clans must take action before he ruins us all."

_Traitor!_

Silverpaw was about to intrude on them when Weaselstripe yowled, "Shadowclan and Windclan! Return to camp!"

The apprentice stumbled, and she had almost regained her balance when a hard paw knocked into her head, forcing her to the ground. Before she could get up, she was pinned, claws digging into her pelt. She peeked out of her closed eyes and into the green eyes of a Shadowclan apprentice.

"Too easy, fish-brain," he taunted, pressing his claws in more.

Silverpaw took that moment to kick out with her hind leg, making contact with his belly and sending him flying off of her.

"How does it feel? To have a _fish-brain_ beat you up?"

He got to his paws. "You're better than I thought. But I'm not beaten yet!"

He leapt out at her, claws unsheathed, and pinned her again. This time Silverpaw wriggled out of his grip like a fish, and slashed at his face. Her claws scored on his cheek. He glared at her, fur bristling, then countered with swift jabs of his paws. His attack caught Silverpaw off guard, and soon she was lying winded on the ground. He raised his paw, and Silverpaw was aware of the fear rolling off of her pelt.

_Make it quick, _she thought desperately, her thoughts drowning out the rallying cries of attacking cats.

"Get off her, Shadowclan scum!"

A hurtling black shape flung itself at the tom, knocking him off Silverpaw. She scrambled to her paws and saw Snakepaw wrestling with the tom. "Thanks," Silverpaw gasped.

In reply, the apprentice shrugged, hooking his claws under the Shadowclan tom.

Silverpaw glanced around. A little ways away, Weaselstripe was clawing a lithe brown she-cat, Windclan by the scent of it. Scratches covering her body, the Windclan cat hissed and ran out of sight. Weaselstripe looked up and met his apprentice's gaze. "Protect the entrance!" He yowled, and then bowled into a surprised looking Shadowclan warrior.

Silverpaw was about to engage in the battle when she scented more enemies. They were approaching from all sides, and the scents were mixed of Shadowclan, Windclan, _and_ Thunderclan. Her eyes grew wide, there was no way they could hold off so many cats.

_Starclan help us!_

A line of cats appeared, with the three leaders in the front. A crowd of Riverclan warriors gathered, and the sounds of fighting faded. One of the leaders, Greenstar, stepped forward.

"Riverclan, your schemes end here," she meowed. "Release your captives and let the lake be ruled by four, not one."

Creekstar met her challenge. Silverpaw gasped, she hadn't seen him come. His dark blue eyes flashed.

"You heard our ancestors. They know what is good for the clans, and that is for Riverclan to lead us all!" He let out a thunderous yowl, and cries rose from the cats, of both agreement and protest.

Falconstar leapt forward, snarling and spitting in an unfazed Creekstar's face. "Starclan favors none," he hissed. "The lake is ruled by four combined."

"Four combined is one. And every cat here knows Riverclan would rise to the top, as we have so many times before!"

Cloudstar hissed, his fur starting to stand. "Thunderclan is strong!"

Creekstar nodded. "Strong, but not in its best times."

Cloudstar glared at Silverpaw's leader, and his eyes clearly said that if he wasn't a disciplined leader, he would have leapt at Creekstar right then and there.

Sensing the tension, Creekstar meowed, "Since none of you are willing to cooperate, I will have to extend to… other measures." He flicked his tail, and Brokendawn, Cedarfall, and Weaselstripe strode forward. They each dragged a limp cat. Silverpaw nearly gasped when she saw the black and white tom dangling from her mentor's jaws. It was the Shadowclan apprentice! She scoffed and looked away. He deserved it.

Creekstar nodded to Cedarfall. He dropped a grey she-cat on the ground in front of the Riverclan leader. Cindershine. With a flick of his tail, Creekstar signaled Cedarfall. The tom winced, but raised his paw above the medicine cat's neck. Startled, Silverpaw realized what he was going to do.

_No! _This was low, even compared to their old techniques, which were only tiny pebbles hidden at the bottom of a stream. With only the slightest twitch of his ears, Creekstar willed Cedarfall to do it. The Riverclan warrior squeezed his green eyes shut and with a resounding crack, Cindershine's life faded.

Silverpaw stood transfixed as the scenes unfolded. She found she could not look away from those dulling amber eyes. She gasped.

In the depths of the Windclan cat's eyes, there was a message. A message meant for the silver apprentice standing in the shadows, afraid.

"_It is in your paws now," _Cindershine told Silverpaw. Her legs felt weak.

_What do you mean?_ The young she-cat thought, but there was no reply, only Falconstar's distressed wail filling her ears.

"_It is in your paws now…" _Silverpaw felt faint, and her mind was buzzing. _When I can't even stop my leader from doing this to us all? _She was on the verge of collapse.

"Silverpaw?"

Again, she watched Creekstar repeat the process with Weaselstripe and the Shadowclan tom. _No… _"NO!"

_Who said that? _Silverpaw felt a million eyes scorching her pelt. Creekstar turned slowly, anger directed at her. "_What_?" He meowed tensely.

_Was it me? _"I-I—"

"Did you think this was some everyday task, just like sending out patrols? No. Riverclan is _the_ favored one, and if these pesky mange-pelts refuse to believe it, we have to show them. Are you a true Riverclan cat?"

"I—"

"_ARE YOU_?"

Silverpaw took a deep breath, struggling to stay calm, and whisked out, "I was just thinking, why not torture the captives slowly? Like, force the clans to get together and claw them—" she pointed her tail to the captives, trying to ignore the leader's practically clawing her with their gazes, and meowed, "—nearly to death, but not quite, and heal them before the next mini Gathering, and repeat, and after a while, finish them off?" She tried not to let her fear show in her eyes, and forced herself to sneer at the hissing cats in the other clans. Then she faced Creekstar again.

His eyes said it all. _"You're off the hook. This time."_

A tiny sigh escaped her lips.

Creekstar glared at the other leaders again, and meowed, "You better go now. Until next time, my friends." He stood tall, and his voice was soft yet menacing. Shadowclan's leader was bristling and hostility rang through the air. Finally, Cloudstar, Falconstar, and Greenstar turned and stalked away, hissing, with their clans following suit. Soon, the area was empty except for the Riverclan cats.

Creekstar raked his gaze through his line of warriors and apprentices. "Back to camp!" He yowled. Silverpaw followed her mentor, who was dragging the black tom again, when a furry white tail stopped her. She gulped, and looked up into icy shards of blue. _Uh oh…_

"_You_ will meet me in my den," Creekstar meowed, with the same tone he'd used with the leaders.

**Uh oh...**


End file.
